Posted on August, 28 2014

Substantial efforts have been made to uproot deforestation in Southwestern Madagascar, where 99% of people use wood or charcoal to cook their meals. For Earth Hour 2014, WWF Madagascar subsidized the sale of 2,000 high-efficiency cook stoves in the region. These stoves reduce consumption of fuelwood by at least 50%. Combined the 2,000 stoves will help preserve 350 ha of forest annually. An Earth Hour crowdfunding campaign successfully raised the funds for over 500 additional cookstoves thanks to the generosity of donors from around the world, including the support of the French national rugby team, which played a tournament in Hong Kong wearing the Earth Hour colours on their uniforms to raise awareness of the cook stove project.